Sir Olly Robbins, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office, is set to testify before Parliament today, defending his actions in a high-stakes political row over the failed security vetting of Lord Peter Mandelson.
Robbins was dismissed last Thursday after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy discovered he had not informed them that Mandelson had failed the vetting process required for his appointment as UK Ambassador to Washington. The appointment had already been publicly announced.
A friend of Sir Olly told the BBC: "Olly doesn't do personal. He never has and he never will."
Robbins is expected to argue that his interpretation of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, 2010, prohibited him from sharing the conclusions of the UK Security Vetting process with ministers. He is reportedly "bruised and upset" by both his dismissal and the personal nature of the criticism leveled against him.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's allies maintain a starkly different interpretation of the law, insisting Robbins could and should have disclosed the information. Supporters of Starmer express confusion as to why Robbins maintained his position even after Mandelson's appointment was rescinded and questions about the vetting process resurfaced.
Dame Emily Thornberry, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, is said to be furious that Robbins failed to disclose what he knew when the committee specifically questioned him about Mandelson's vetting.
A key line of questioning today will focus on whether Robbins shared the information with anyone else, and if so, with whom and under what circumstances. The Prime Minister's team hopes the testimony will bolster their claim that Robbins had multiple opportunities to inform them and chose not to do so.
Following the committee session, the Conservatives have secured another debate on the issue in the House of Commons. Reflecting on the intense pressure, an ally of Robbins remarked, "That's exactly how it feels," in response to suggestions that the entire British state apparatus was being mobilized against him.